For the preparation of E-prostaglandins, a method is commonly used in which E-prostaglandins are extracted from the lower alkyl esters of E-prostaglandins. However, since E-prostaglandins are chemically labile and subject to dehydration reaction as they have .beta.-hydroxy-ketone in the skeleton, it is hardly possible to apply the ordinary chemical techniques for their preparation. Hydrolysis by use of an enzyme is known as a most effective method for the preparation of E-prostaglandins (JP-A-52-21392 and A. Hazato et al: Hydrolysis of E-Prostaglandin Methyl Esters Using Esterase, Bul. of Japan Chemical Society, Vol. 9, pp. 1390-1392, 1983).
However, this hydrolytic method using an enzyme has the disadvantage in that a great deal of time is required for the reaction in the case of certain types of E-prostaglandins. Further, in the preparation of E-prostaglandins having the triple bonds at the 13- and 14-positions (the compounds of the formula (II) in which B is ethynylene group), which are among prostaglandings E.sub.1, there would be produced the isomers of the objective compound, such as 8-.beta. compounds.